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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Seth Rosin: The Newest Member of The Phillies Organziation

Nothing raises the profile of a baseball prospect like being part of a trade involving a major league player. When that happens, even the most casual fans perk their ears, curious to know who the young players are who were thought of enough to be exchanged for a big leaguer. At last month’s trade deadline a number of prospects came into the national spotlight as deal after deal went down. Seth Rosin is one of those young players, having just been acquired by the Philadelphia Phillies in a deal for All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence.

Rosin, a massive (6’6 250) right-handed pitcher from St. Paul, Minnesota, was drafted in the later rounds of the 2007 MLB Draft, but opted to play at the University of Minnesota instead of signing with his hometown team. After a stellar career with the Gophers he greatly improved his stock and was drafted in the 4th round in 2010 by the San Francisco Giants.

Now in his third professional season Rosin has shuttled between starting and relieving, though with a big fastball, his future is almost certainly in the bullpen. With 172 strikeouts in 162.1 career innings he has pitched increasingly better at each rung of the minors. More information about his statistics is available at http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=rosin-001set.

Rosin was enjoying a solid year as the closer for the High-A San Jose Giants, when he was traded with Tommy Joseph and Nate Schierholtz on July 31st to the Phillies for outfielder Hunter Pence. Rosin and Joseph- a top catching prospect- were the primary pieces to the deal for Philadelphia, as the team hopes to continue developing a solid core of young players to supplement their veterans.

This past off-season I had an opportunity to conduct an interview with Rosin and found him to be a great guy, and just based on his stats, a player to look out for. Keep reading to find out more about the newest member of the Philadelphia organization.

Seth Rosin Interview:

Who were your favorite team and player growing up and why?: I loved Kirby Puckett for the Minnesota Twins when I was little because how athletic he was in center field, and he won the Twins (my hometown team) the World Series in '91.

Can you run through what your draft day experience was like?: I want to say it was all smiles and sunshine, but it was kind of nerve-wracking when I didn't know what to expect. I was told a lot of things could happen. I couldn't be happier with the team that picked me and how I have been treated as a player and as a person. It was truly a blessing.

What happened between when you were drafted and when you signed?: I had about a week to see friends and family before being sent to Arizona for my physical. It was a lot of fun getting texts and voicemails from people that supported me throughout high school and college.

Do you feel your future is as a starter or reliever?: Haha. I couldn't tell you. Both have their advantages. I want to prove to the Giants that I can do both and be successful at both. I just want to help whatever team I'm on this summer to get to the playoffs, and be a good teammate and leader in the locker room.

What pitches do you throw, and which one is your strongest and which one needs the most work?: I throw a four-seam and two-seam fastball, a slider, and a change-up. My fastball is my best pitch and I think in the last 12 months my secondary stuff has come along pretty well with the help of the Giants staff. Working with Steve Kline last summer in Augusta was amazing. He really knows his stuff. It was great learning from him.

What does the big league team do for its minor league players with guest instructors?: We do have roving instructors come in and evaluate players at the minor league level. The minor leaguers do their best to play hard every day in order to get a shot at being called up to the majors. All of us dream about getting that shot one day and that makes it competitive, but fun too. We support our teammates and all the players that are with our organization.

How difficult is it to eat healthy during the season, with all the bus trips and fast food stops?: That is one of the hardest things I struggle with. I found that Waffle House that summer in Augusta. We don't have many of those in the Midwest, and they had the best breakfasts, so I will do my best at keeping a diet that gives me the best chance to succeed. I have learned that drinking enough water and eating right can make the difference between being a good player and being a really good player.

What do you typically do in the off season for work or relaxation?: I spend tons of time with friends and family. We talk about what has happened in each other's lives the last couple months and reminisce on the past. Everyone needs to recharge their batteries with friends and family time in the off-season, at least for a little bit. Also going on one long weekend trip with 5-6 friends is always a great way to kick back and relax.